Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) introduced two new auto interior glass solutions to customers at last week's 2019 Consumer Electronics Show® (CES) in Las Vegas. As automakers respond to consumer demand for more integrated and interactive displays, Corning's new Gorilla Glass for Automotive Interiors solutions are designed to address these trends, delivering the highest product performance and superior system economics.
"Consumers want a more connected and immersive driver experience in the cockpit. Automakers are responding by deploying displays that are larger, longer, shaped, and more integrated," said Michael Kunigonis, vice president and general manager, Corning Automotive Glass Solutions. "As a result, an auto-specific use-case has emerged to address these trends and to challenge today's incumbent cover materials, which can fail up to one-in-three times during industry reliability tests, increasing supply chain costs."
Kunigonis said that is why Corning scientists developed the industry's first two AutoGrade(TM) cover glass solutions for auto interiors, in two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) formats. The 2D cover glass is optimized to pass industry reliability tests (using Corning's system-level design guidelines) 99% of the time, while preserving its authentic feel, superior durability, and advantaged optics for flat applications. Corning's 3D glass was developed for shaped or curved applications. It delivers the same reliability performance, when bent to shape, as the 2D cover glass.
"One of the most striking attributes of Gorilla Glass for Automotive Interiors 3D is its ability to bend at room temperature, precisely covering the curved surfaces in modern auto interiors without compromising the reliability of the cover glass," said Fabio Salgado, commercial director, Corning Automotive Glass Solutions.
Corning's proprietary ColdForm(TM) technology reduces shaped cover-glass part costs by up to 40% versus comparable hot-formed parts while sustaining exceptional optical performance and delivering AutoGrade(TM) reliability.
"We've been extremely pleased with manufacturer interest in Gorilla Glass for Automotive," said Kunigonis. "More than 50 new models representing over 25 automakers around the world are designing our glasses into their vehicles, and last week we had an outstanding automotive industry response to our newest innovations."
AutoGrade(TM) Corning Gorilla Glass for Automotive Interiors 2D and 3D will be available for mass production in 2019, with automakers already working it into their designs for the 2020 model year.
Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995), which are based on current expectations and assumptions about Corning's financial results and business operations, that involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include: the effects of acquisitions, dispositions and other similar transactions by the Company, the effect of global business, financial, economic and political conditions; tariffs and import duties; currency fluctuations between the U.S. dollar and other currencies, primarily the Japanese yen, New Taiwan dollar, euro, Chinese yuan, and South Korean won; product demand and industry capacity; competitive products and pricing; availability and costs of critical components and materials; new product development and commercialization; order activity and demand from major customers; the amount and timing of our cash flows and earnings and other conditions, which may affect our ability to pay our quarterly dividend at the planned level or to repurchase shares at planned levels; possible disruption in commercial activities due to terrorist activity, cyber-attack, armed conflict, political or financial instability, natural disasters, or major health concerns; unanticipated disruption to equipment, facilities, IT systems or operations; effect of regulatory and legal developments; ability to pace capital spending to anticipated levels of customer demand; rate of technology change; ability to enforce patents and protect intellectual property and trade secrets; adverse litigation; product and components performance issues; retention of key personnel; customer ability, most notably in the Display Technologies segment, to maintain profitable operations and obtain financing to fund their ongoing operations and manufacturing expansions and pay their receivables when due; loss of significant customers; changes in tax laws and regulations including the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017; and the potential impact of legislation, government regulations, and other government action and investigations.
For a complete listing of risks and other factors, please reference the risk factors and forward-looking statements described in our annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the day that they are made, and Corning undertakes no obligation to update them in light of new information or future events.